Solar orbiter detects ion sorting at the solar wind's magnetic boundary

Filed by Dr. Kai Vega

A Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) study of data from the European Space Agency's (ESA) Solar Orbiter gives the most detailed view of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) to date. The HCS is a sprawling, undulating surface emanating from the sun to beyond the solar system that serves as the boundary between the sun's north and south magnetic field hemispheres.